Author: Alice Gregory

If you’re looking for somewhere to dine midweek that doesn’t break the bank, The Alchemist has a new Cosmic Supper Club menu that’s only £20 per person.  Diners can enjoy a Cosmic Oyster cocktail/ mocktail with their choice of three sharing plates from an available 20, so there is plenty to choose from, no matter what you’re in the mood for. If you’ve visited The Alchemist before, it’s quite easy to overlook their restaurant and instead be mesmerised by the exquisite fusion of science and mixology from behind the bar, where cocktails are crafted with precision and flair.  However, if…

With delays in waiting times to see a specialist in pelvic floor problems ranging from 1-3 years across the UK and waiting times from initial presentation to undergoing surgery being as long as 7-10 years, women are struggling to access support. More recently UK government has reported that it takes an average of seven to eight years for women to receive a diagnosis of endometriosis, with 40% of women needing ten or more GP appointments before being referred to a specialist. Gynaecological conditions on the elective pathway are often perceived as less urgent than their counterparts in other surgical specialties,…

South Wales linen suppliers Star Linen UK has become one of the first companies in the hospitality sector to achieve the prestigious B Corporation certification – joining the growing movement using business as a force for good. The gold standard award recognises Star Linen UK’s commitment to sustainable business practices and ethical standards, solidifying its position as an industry leader in environmentally conscious solutions for the hospitality sector. Verified by B Lab, the not-for-profit behind the B Corp movement, the achievement demonstrates the company meets high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability alongside a commitment to goals…

The University of South Wales (USW) hosted Wales’ first digital catwalk show last night (Monday 22 April) as part of Cardiff Fashion Week 2024. The launch event introduced the concept of digital fashion to the audience – which included local fashion brands, designers and models – showing how clothes can be designed and created using specialist software and tailored to avatars, instead of using physical fabrics. Compared to traditional garment manufacturing, digital fashion is inexpensive, sustainable and isn’t constrained by creative barriers or production limitations – helping to reduce the fashion industry’s environmental impact and offering more freedom for designers.…

THE new owners of the Parc Dewi Sant site in Carmarthen have announced plans to convert the former Victorian asylum into a medical park with health and wellbeing benefits for the whole community. A number of NHS services currently operate on the site, and there is also a Swansea University facility teaching student nurses. All existing organisations on the site will retain their tenancy rights. The new owners have acquired almost all of the 38-acre site from Carmarthen County Council after the council put the location up for sale. Parc Dewi Sant Limited wants to develop the medical provision on…

Caerphilly-based MacManus Asset Finance has been named Asset Finance Broker of the Year at a prestigious UK-wide awards event hosted by Claudia Winkleman for Business Moneyfacts in London on 18th April. The largest business finance awards ceremony in the UK took place in front of more than 700 attendees representing some of the nation’s biggest financial institutions, at the Evolution Centre in Battersea, London. MacManus Asset Finance was established in 2005, by Chris and Rhian MacManus and trades from Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly. Making the shortlist of finalists at the glamorous event was a huge achievement for the Welsh business,…

A pair of stools by Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson, an Omega watch, an Art Deco desk clock companion and a 1794 Cary’s Map of England and Wales were just some of the discoveries at a charity antiques valuation event in Newtown on Wednesday. The event was organised by Marie Curie’s Newtown Fundraising Group at the Monty Club in partnership with specialists from Shrewsbury-based Halls Fine Art. A fee of £1 per item valued contributed to £125 raised for the charity on the day. Alexander Clement, watches and Asian art specialist and senior general valuer, Maryanne Lineker-Mobberley, silver, jewellery and bijouterie specialist…

Farmer-led Abergavenny based charity Stump Up for Trees continue their mission to plant one million trees in the Brecon Beacons with the help of the Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund. One year ago, WWF, the RSPB and Aviva came together to launch the Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund, a fund making it easier for communities to take action for UK nature in their local area. From the Scottish Highlands, right down to the Cornish Riviera, nearly 250 groups took part, collectively raising over £2.5million, from over 12,000 supporters, to help bring UK nature back to life. In Abergavenny,…

Swansea University has renewed its commitment to the Libraries Together Passport Scheme and will continue to offer the local community free access to high-quality education and information through its libraries. The scheme, accessible to Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Powys, and Pembrokeshire public library members, alleviates the financial constraints associated with purchasing study materials and helps individuals enhance their research skills. It also inspires the discovery of reading for pleasure outside of education purposes and encourages environmental sustainability through borrowing, not buying. To become an external borrower of Swansea University Libraries, visitors must: Go to their nearest public library…

Alfie, a ten-year-old cat from Wales who went missing over two years ago, has been reunited with his family thanks to his microchip and lost and found pet database, Petlog. Owner Nicola Selwood-Parry, 47, from Newport, South Wales, and her family were heartbroken when their beloved pet cat, Alfie, went missing during a storm in February 2022. Nicola shared: “My 82-year-old dad had been in hospital for a month after being knocked down by a car. On the day I collected him from hospital, when I came home, I found Alfie wasn’t there. Alfie had been there when I left…